Anthony Hopkins

Like his fellow Welshman Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins left England and a celebrated stage career to enjoy the life of an A-list Hollywood actor. The restless thespian made an auspicious film debut...
Read More...

The Silence of the Lambs star wore padding and facial prosthetics to transform into the portly, smartly-dressed director for Hitchcock after refusing to pile on weight for the role.
But he insisted on turning up to rehearsals alongside co-stars Dame Helen Mirren and Scarlett Johansson in formal clothes to perfect his portrayal of the cinema icon.
He tells Deadline.com, "I spent about an hour and half in make-up each day. I also shaved my head, because I'm quite gray and Hitchcock used dye - that awful red dye. And then, once you get into the mask, I'm not Alfred Hitchcock; I'm Anthony Hopkins playing the guy.
"So I used what I could. I wouldn't go on the set till I was completely dressed. I wouldn't go on in jeans, even in rehearsal. If you're going to rehearse a scene, become the character. I wanted to feel the illusion of what I was trying to do, and that's what I did."

Mads Mikkelsen will take on the role of the serial killing cannibal in a TV drama prequel to Harris' Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs, and Anderson will appear alongside the Danish actor as Lecter's psychiatrist, Dr Bedelia Du Maurier.
Anderson's move back to the American small screen comes a decade after The X-Files ended in 2002. She subsequently relocated to England to work in the British TV industry.
Executive producer Bryan Fuller says, "Every therapist needs their own head examined and we are ecstatic that Gillian Anderson has chosen Hannibal to mark her return to American television after 10 years to portray Dr. Lecter's personal psychiatrist.
"Her intelligence and sophistication, not to mention her pedigree of ground-breaking TV, make her the perfect actress to match wits and psychological manipulations with one of the greatest villains of pop culture. I couldn't be more excited."
Lecter has previously been portrayed by Brian Cox, Gaspard Ulliel and Sir Anthony Hopkins, who won an Oscar for his creepy role opposite Jodie Foster in 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs. He reprised the role in two more films.

This Thursday, the Golden Globe nominations will be announced. I know that you're... slightly interested. Now, you likely won't be logging onto the Internet as soon as you get up to see if your favorite movies and actors were nominated like you do on Oscar nod morning, but you still care. You care because your friends will want to talk about the nominations at the bar and you don't want to seem like some idiot who's pop culture illiterate.
Also, the Golden Globes, with their boozy reputation and clandestine voting schemes, is the fun awards show of the season. Wacky things happen. People are in the bathroom when they should be on stage and Matt LeBlanc is walking home with trophies when he should be at home lighting cigars with residual checks he set on fire. So, in honor of the Golden Globes' devil-may-care attitude, I've compiled a list of my Golden Globes fantasy winners. These folks have a better chance of becoming the seventh Jolie-Pitt than winning — let alone being nominated — but, hey, it's the Globes. Wackier things have happened.
And don't worry, I'll get serious again around Oscar time.
Best Movie, Drama: Silver Linings Playbook: I don't care what you (or the Hollywood Foreign Press) may say — this is a drama. Sure, there are yuks and chuckles, but this is essentially a movie about overcoming heartache and a mental illness. Do you know what the "dra" in "dramedy" stands for? Drama. That's what. So suck it. This should win.
Best Actor, Drama: John Hawkes, The Sessions: What did the Deadwood alum have to act with? Half of his face and a poker thing he puts in his mouth to dial the phone. That's what. Helen Hunt had her whole naked body and a giant forehead and she wasn't nearly as good.
Actress, Drama: Doona Bae, Cloud Atlas: Some people put this movie on their Worst of 2012 lists. They are jerks. This movie wasn't the best, but there were plenty of great things about it. The best was probably this unknown Korean actress who plays a robot who yearns to be free — not to mention several other roles.
Movie, Comedy or Musical: Magic Mike: There wasn't very many funny things in this male stripper movie, but there was a lot of music. And dance numbers. And grinding. And abs! Yes, this should be considered a musical, and I can't remember one that was shot better, had more pathos, or that featured Olivia Munn's boobs.
Actor, Comedy or Musical: Paul Rudd, Wanderlust or This is 40: Despite the fact that I haven't seen This Is 40 yet and Wanderlust was only pretty good (even though it did costar my arch nemesis, Jennifer Aniston), I can't ignore that Paul Rudd has been one of the best players in Hollywood for the better part of a decade. He deserves some recognition for something other than being an unlikely gay sex symbol.
Actress, Comedy or Musical: Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables: Just give her the damn thing already.
Supporting Actor, Movie: Matthew McConaughey's butt cheeks, Magic Mike: Oscar talk surrounding McConaughey has been amping up for months. And I simply don't understand it. As the film's strip club owner, the actor played the same vaguely leering, twangily insincere guy he always plays. But his ass? At his age? That's what they make trophies for, people. This year, the men deserve as many "golden globes" jokes as Christina Hendricks' boobs get.
Supporting Actress, Movie: Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect: The middling puff pastry that was Pitch Perfect was slightly stale, if not for one big dollop of Australian cream smacked in the middle. Yup, Fat Amy made the whole movie. Well, that and puke scene.
Best Animated Feature: ParaNorman: Usually, I watch kids' movies before I got to bed — no matter how tired I am, I'm not going to miss anything revelatory. But I stayed awake for this whole claymation extravaganza, which weaved plenty of adult-centric jokes into its teen-centric storyline. Fun for the whole family, except the dog. He can't wear 3D glasses.
Best Foreign Language Film: Jiro Dreams of Sushi: I didn't even see this, but it was the only foreign language film that came out last year that I could think of. Congrats!
Best Director: Ang Lee, Life of Pi: This movie has a story about as shallow as a booze puddle in the Lohan's front yard (I'm not quite sure what that means), but it was gorgeous. Those glowing islands! Those whales! That sinking ship! That Tiger, which Lee must have used a whole fleet of trainers to train! Oh, wait. The tiger was entirely CGI? Neve rmind. Give the award to Tyler Perry.
Best Television Show, Drama: Mad Men: Sure Homeland was good, but Don Draper and company got robbed at the Emmys for its stellar season. They even had The Beatles. The Beatles always win. It's in their contract somewhere.
Best Television Actor, Drama: Damien Lewis, Homeland: There are two reasons he should win. 1. Gingers in Hollywood don't get the respect they deserve, and 2. He looks at Claire Danes' ugly cry and doesn't crack up laughing. That is talent.
Best Television Actress, Drama: Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men: If this show ends before she wins something, it will be one of the greatest travesties in pop culture, just under the fact that The Wire never won an Emmy and Topo Gigio is not an EGOT.
Best Television Show, Comedy or Musical: The Musical Numbers on Smash: The show as a whole leaves plenty to be desired. There were annoying characters, nonsense plots, and scarves so awful, they make you want to fashion them into a noose and hang yourself. But the series' musical numbers? Oh, the musical numbers! Pure heaven, with great set pieces, intricate choreography, and witty lyrics. If this show was just numbers, it would be heaven.
Best Television Actor, Musical or Comedy: Max Greenfield, New Girl: Sorry, Zooey D, there is only one reason I watch this show, and it has nothing to do with your bangs.
Best Television Actress, Musical or Comedy: Parker Posey, Louie: Yeah, yeah, yeah, she was only in three episodes and barely in two of them. But the one she was in — "Daddy's Girlfriend Part 2" — was one of the best episodes of television all year. God, Hollywood has been wasting her since the '90s.
Best Miniseries or Television Movie: Restless: The second and final episode of this twisty spy drama airs on Sundance Channel on Friday and you should really check it out, if only for Charlotte Rampling and Michelle Dockery (of Downton Abbey fame). Also, my boyfriend helped develop it and since this is my fantasy Golden Globes, it wins and he gets a big raise and then buys me something fancy. That's the way these things work, right?
Best Actor, Miniseries or Television Movie: Toby Jones, The Girl: Let's take a minute to think about Toby Jones. He played Truman Capote the same year Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Oscar for Capote and now his take on Alfred Hitchcock is going up against Anthony Hopkins' version in Hitchcock. Give this poor guy a break!
Best Actress, Miniseries or Television Movie: Lindsay Lohan, Liz &amp; Dick: You know you want to see this happen, if only to see what she wears, how everyone reacts, and what she says in her acceptance speech. Admit it.
Best Supporting Actor, Television: Adam Pally, Happy Endings: While there are popular favorites like Big Bang Theory, critical favorites like Parks and Recreation, and things that everyone on the Internet has a total inexplicable boner for like Community, there is one stealth show that is the best sitcom on TV. It is Happy Endings. Max is the best character. He deserves to win. BOOM!
Best Supporting Actress, Television: Anyone but Maggie Smith: Seriously, lady. We keep giving you awards and you keep not showing up. No more. No more, I say!
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
[Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures; Universal Pictures (2); AMC; Lifetime]
More: The 68th Annual Golden Globes Winners! In Praise of Parker Posey 5 'The Hobbit' Clips Show Hungry Dwarves, Vicious Dogs, and One Crazy Gollum

2012 was a heated year for Presidential politics, with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney vying for the position of Commander-in-Chief and the battle of ideologies dominating every facet of pop culture. Movies and television also did their fair share of respectful homage-ing to the Head of State, with Daniel Day-Lewis' stirring portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Spielberg's Lincoln (and the vampire-hunting alternative), Jordan Peele finding room to mock our sitting Prez in Key and Peele, and Bill Murray finding the swinger side of America's only four-termer, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in this weekend's Hyde Park on the Hudson. History teachers across the country have never been prouder of what they do than in the last 365 days.
Presidents were this year's hot item on the big and small screens, but pop culture has always been obsessed with dressing up actors to look like the men who fill our text books. Inspired by 2012's trend, Hollywood.com has combed through cinematic history to whip up this handy infographic, chronicling decades of Presidential appearances in pop culture. In the end, one thing is clear: Futurama did a lot in the name of presidential representation.
Check below the image for the key, revealing the actor assigned to each president.
Click to EnlargeDavid Morse as George Washington in John AdamsWilliam Daniels as John Adams in 1776Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson in ParisBurgess Meredith as James Madison in Magnificent DollMorgan Wallace as James Monroe in Alexander HamiltonAnthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams in AmistadCharlton Heston as Andrew Jackson in The President's LadyNigel Hawthorne as Martin Van Buren in AmistadDavid Clennon as William Henry Harrison in Tecumseh (1994)John Tyler in FuturamaJames K. Polk in FuturamaJames Gammon as Zachary Taylor in One Man's HeroMillard Fillmore has never been portrayedFranklin Pierce in FuturamaJames Buchanan has never been portrayedDaniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in LincolnDennis Clark as Andrew Johnson in The ConspiratorKevin Kline as Ulysses S. Grant in Wild Wild WestJohn DiMaggio as Rutherford B. Hayes in FuturamaFrancis Sayles as James A. Garfield in The Night RidersMaurice LaMarche as Chester A. Arthur in Futurama Pat McCormick as Grover Cleveland in FuturamaRoy Gordon as Benjamin Harrison in FuturamaPat McCormick as Grover Cleveland in FuturamaBrian Keith as William McKinley in Rough RidersRobin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt in Night at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianWalter Massey as William Howard Taft in The Greatest Game Ever PlayedBob Gunton as Woodrow Wilson in Iron Jawed AngelsWarren G. Harding in FuturamaCalvin Coolidge in FuturamaHerbert Hoover in FuturamaBill Murray as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park on the HudsonGary Sinise as Harry S. Truman in TrumanTom Selleck as Dwight D. Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-DayBruce Greenwood as John F. Kennedy Thirteen DaysRandy Quaid as Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ: The Early YearsDan Hedaya as Richard Nixon in DickDick Crockett as Gerald Ford in Pink Panther Strikes AgainDan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter in Saturday Night LiveJames Brolin as Ronald Reagan in The ReagansJames Cromwell as George H. W. Bush in W.Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton in The Special RelationshipTimothy Bottoms as George W. Bush in That's My Bush!Jordan Peele as Barack Obama in Key and Peele
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
[Photo Illustration by Hollywood.com; Photo Credits: Comedy Central (12); HBO (4); Columbia Pictures (2); Warner Bros (2); DreamWorks (2); 20th Century Fox (3); NBC(2); Touchstone Pictures; Universal Pictures; Turner Pictures; Paramount Pictures; Orion Pictures; Roadside Attractions; Republic Pictures; TNT; Buena Vista Pictures; Focus Features; A&amp;E; New Line; United Artists; Showtime; Lionsgate; iStockphoto]
More:
MemElection 2012: What if Memes Chose The President?
Why We Can't Peg President Obama's Pop Culture Persona
Scores of 'Lincoln': Finding Abe's Honest Voice — VIDEO
From Our Partners:
12 Funniest Movie Presidents in Film (Moviefone)
New ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Trailer! — Cue Khan Scream (Moviefone)

Anthony Hopkins isn't the only iconic serial killer-playing actor in Hollywood anymore. Recently, Zachary Quinto's American Horror Story: Asylum character, Dr. Oliver Thredson, was revealed to be a serial killer — and, well, this makes it the second time that Quinto has played a mass murderer. Remember his epic role as mutant Sylar in Heroes? Well, Monday night on Conan, Quinto revealed what he thinks makes him such such a clear cut serial killer (pun intended) — and it's all in his brows!
"I have been talking to my therapist about [what makes me a serial killer] for the last six years," the 35-year-old actor told Conan O'Brien. "My strong brow? It really is the downward position of the head with the upward glance." He then went on to demonstrate his ferocious killer face.
But Quinto isn't the only one with an eerie look. "I have creepy pervert [eyes]," O'Brien said. "That's what I have."
"There's value in that too, especially in this town," Quinto replied to O'Brien.
Watch the clip below.
Follow Lindsey on Twitter @LDiMat.
[Photo Credit: TBS]
More:
'Star Trek Into Darkness' Benedict Cumberbatch Is Starfleet's Reckoning — POSTER
Trek Fans, Fill in the Blanks: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Synopsis Revealed
'American Horror Story': Zachary Quinto Gets [SPOILER ALERT]!
From Our Partners:
Inside ‘Bachelorette’ Stars Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum’s Wedding — EXCLUSIVE DETAILS
Mario Lopez, Courtney Mazza’s Wedding Pictures Revealed!

"The key is, when playing a crazy man like that, to play the total opposite. Play him as totally sane. Play him as ordinary... Don't try to be evil." Sir Anthony Hopkins on how to play a serial killer like The Silence of the Lambs villain Hannibal Lecter.

The actor, who stunned fans in 2009 by unveiling an 80 pounds (36.2 kilograms) weight-loss, was against bulking up to play the moviemaker in Hitchcock, which examines the story behind classic horror movie Psycho.
He instead donned prosthetics and padding to portray the portly director, and is delighted with the results.
Hopkins is quoted by Britain's Daily Express as saying, "I wouldn't put on weight. At my age it might never come off again!
"Instead, the make-up guys did some incredible work with prosthetics and padding. It takes a while to put on but it's a hell of a lot easier to get off."

Alfred Hitchcock is noted as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and rightfully so — his body of work comprised of over 60 films is skillfully composed highly dramatic and eclectic from beginning to end. So pulling back the curtain on the legend in his own medium was only a matter of time a how'd-he-do-it biopic that could pay respects to the collected works while revealing the master's process. Hitchcock directed by Sacha Gervasi (Anvil: The Story of Anvil) pays its respects but also reveals another unexpected quality of the auteur's behind-the-scenes life: it wasn't all that dramatic.
Anthony Hopkins slides into the silhouette of the recognizable director and does a reasonable job nailing his cadence and posture. Side by side with his wife Alma (Helen Mirren) who as the movie reveals was the director's close collaborator Hitchcock strides confidently into the world of independent cinema for the first time balking at studio heads who demand something more audience-friendly than the gruesome Psycho. Investing his own money into the film Hitchcock risks everything to turn the story of murderer Ed Gein into a high art horror picture. He finds a leading lady in Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) a script in a screenwriter with mommy problems and a closeted actor to portray the sexually exploratory Gein.
And that's about it. Hitchcock disguises the usual stresses of moviemaking as major hurdles even representing Gein as a specter who haunts Hitchcock's every decision. Aside from the brief suspicion that Alma abandons him mid-production for charming writer Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston) which feels stuffed in and meandering rather than intrinsic to the making of Psycho there's little explanation for Hitchcock's anxiety and downward spiral. The film even dabbles in Hitch's well-known infatuation with his leading ladies — explored to a terrifying degree in last month's The Girl — but places the director on too high a pedestal to ever dig deep.
The real star of the show — and perhaps one who would have made a better subject for feature film — is Alma a complex second fiddle overshadowed by the greatness of Hitchcock. Mirren once again delivers a lively performance as a woman desperate to live her own life; the scene when she lets loose on Hitchcock is easily the high point of the movie. But like the audience who unknowingly appreciated her work behind-the-camera Hitchcock is too obsessed with the man at the center of it all to open up and give the character or Mirren the spotlight.
Hitchcock's time period flourishes and camera work are presented simply (Gervasi keeps hat tipping to the auteur's oeuvre to a minimum) while Danny Elfman whips up a score that riffs appropriately on longtime Hitchcock collaborator Bernhard Hermann's works. But there's no hook to elevate the film from a puff piece and even the biggest Alfred Hitchcock fan will be grasping for something more.

Bella, Edward and Jacob take on a host of wide release newcomers this weekend including Paramount’s release of Dreamworks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians in 3-D, Ang Lee’s acclaimed Life of Pi in 3-D, and FilmDistrict’s re-make of Red Dawn.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 from Summit Entertainment (a Lionsgate company) will top the Friday through Sunday portion of Thanksgiving weekend with a likely gross in the mid-$40 million range and around $65 million for Wednesday through Sunday. Breaking Dawn, Part 1 dropped 70% in its second weekend at the same time last year(earning $41.7M for 3 days &amp; $61.8M for 5), but based on stronger word-of-mouth this latest installment will likely show greater stamina. With solid mid-week grosses ($10.1 million on Monday alone), the film could finish the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with a massive $220 million in North America and well over $400 million worldwide!
This will put the vampires and werewolves tale well ahead of the new Thanksgiving releases. First up is Rise of the Guardians which is looking at a fairly modest Wednesday through Sunday opening frame of around $40 million and a possible low $20 million gross for the weekend portion alone. This “all-star” movie brings together classic and iconic childhood characters Jack Frost (Chris Pine), Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), The Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and the Sandman in an epic battle to protect the children of the world from The Boogeyman (Jude Law). This will be the last DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by Paramount Pictures, with the next film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.
PHOTOS: Really? 18 Ridiculous Plot Twists
Next up for the holiday movie feast is 20th Century Fox’s Life of Pi based on Yann Martel's bestselling 2001 book about a teenage boy set adrift in the middle of the ocean on a raft with four animals as his only companions. This fantastical adventure has been winning praise for its stunning 3-D visuals and is gaining Oscar buzz. Directed by Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), this epic film with a reported $120 million budget will have to bank on solid word-of-mouth in the coming weeks to keep it afloat. This weekend a 5-day gross of around $20 million (and low to mid-teens for F-S-S) is expected for its debut in around 2,900 theaters.
FilmDistrict will release the re-make of Red Dawn in 2,678 theaters in North America on Wednesday (expanding to 2,724 theatres on Friday). This time Thor-Hunk Chris Hemsworth, Hunger-Gamer Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star as American citizens protecting their small town from a North Korean invasion. The original film released in 1984 featured small-towners Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell and Charlie Sheen battling Russian military forces. According to the press release, pre-release tracking indicates that the film could post a five-day gross in the very high teens with a three day (F-S-S) in the low teens. This should be a fine result for FilmDistrict which did not produce the film rather only acquired distribution rights.
PHOTOS: 12 Unforgettable 007 Death Scenes
Of course Bond, James Bond will continue to make his formidable presence known in the well-reviewed and highly successful Skyfall. The highest grossing Bond film to date as it closes in on $700 million globally, this is also the most universally-praised Bond film in years. An expected weekend gross in the high teen range will put the film within shooting distance of $200 million in North America alone, by the end of the long holiday period.
This will also be a great Thanksgiving weekend for those who have been chomping at the bit to see the much talked about films Silver Linings Playbook from The Weinstein Co. (which expands into about 420 theaters on Friday) and Anthony Hopkins in Fox Searchlight's Hitchcock which opens on Friday in limited release in 17 theaters.
More: 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' Has a Big First Day at the Box Office 'Twilight': The 'Twilight' Years Man Charged with Plotting 'Twilight' Shooting
From Our Partners:
’Twilight’ Saga’s Most Underrated Characters (PICS) (Moviefone) Best (and Worst!) Movie Plot Twists Ever(Moviefone)

The 74 year old took a career break several years ago but it didn't last long and he has ended up busier than ever with roles in the Thor superhero franchise and as Sir Alfred Hitchcock in a new film about the legendary director.
Hopkins reveals he is now determined to work for as long as possible as he is convinced acting will keep him healthy.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I don't ever want to retire. I did a few years ago. I didn't actually plan it, but I thought, 'Maybe I should just slow down and call it a day.' My wife said to me, 'You do that, you will die. You can't retire. It's your work, it's your life. You love working.'
"When men retire - particularly men - if they get out too early, they usually die of stress or loneliness or they drink too much or their hearts give out. I think a certain amount of stress in life is good. The stress of just working, which takes effort - I think it keeps you going."

Cast to play a fair-skinned African American who pretends to be white to avoid racism in the 1940s in "The Human Stain"

Co-starred in the ABC miniseries "Hollywood Wives"

Invited to join The National Theater at the Old Vic where he played King Lear, Macbeth and Antony; first major role was when he understudied Laurence Olivier and eventually went on in "Dance of Death" (1966)

Co-starred in the film adaptation of David Auburn's play "Proof," directed by John Madden and starring with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Gyllenhaal

Cast as Ptolemy in Oliver Stone's "Alexander"

Received third Best Actor Oscar nomination for title role in "Nixon," directed by Oliver Stone

London stage debut, "Julius Caesar" at the Royal Court Theater

Provided the voice of Marcus Crassus (subbing for the late Lord Olivier) in the restored version of "Spartacus"

Feature debut as a screenwriter with "Slipstream"; also directed, produced and starred in the film as a Hollywood screenwriter who begins to confuse his own life with the characters he is creating on the page; premiered at the Sundance Film Festival

Delivered an over-the-top performance as Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in Alan Parker's "The Road to Wellville"

Film debut in Lindsay Anderson's short, "The White Bus"

Co-starred in the ABC miniseries "QB VII"

Reteamed with Brad Pitt for "Meet Joe Black," loosely based on "Death Takes a Holiday"

Won Oscar for his chilling portrait as killer Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs"

Made debut as a conductor with the New Symphony Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall on March 21

Won an Emmy as Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the TV-movie "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case" (NBC)

Cast as the hotel doorman in Emilio Estevez's directorial debut "Bobby," an ensemble centered around the night of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination

Garnered second Academy Award nomination for his performance as a repressed English butler in "The Remains of the Day"

Starred as Captain Christopher Jones in "Mayflower: The Pilgrim's Adventure"

Returned to England after a decade in the U.S.

Offered stellar portrayal of the legendary filmmaker in "Hitchcock"

Narrated the live-action version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

Played Benicio del Toro's father in the remake of classic horror film "The Wolfman"

Third collaboration with Merchant-Ivory, "Surviving Picasso"; played title role

Earned second Emmy for his portrayal of Hitler in "The Bunker" (CBS)

Acted in Alec Baldwin's feature directorial debut, a remake of "The Devil and Daniel Webster" titled "Shortcut to Happiness"

Cast as the patriarch to Brad Pitt, Henry Thomas and Aidan Quinn in "Legends of the Fall"

First of many collaborations with director Richard Attenborough in "Young Winston"

Summary

Like his fellow Welshman Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins left England and a celebrated stage career to enjoy the life of an A-list Hollywood actor. The restless thespian made an auspicious film debut in "The Lion in Winter" (1968) as the scheming Richard the Lionheart, as well as won Emmys for his TV movie performances in "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case" (NBC, 1976), as accused kidnapper Bruno Hauptmann, and "The Bunker" (CBS, 1981), as Adolph Hitler. But it was his Oscar-winning turn as Dr. Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) that brought the years of struggle and second-rate parts to an end, elevating him to full-fledged movie star status. With his stature elevated to that of a rarified performer, Hopkins turned in one exquisite performance after another in films as varied as "Howards End" (1992), "The Remains of the Day" (1993), "Legends of the Fall" (1994) and "Nixon" (1995), in which he aptly portrayed the disgraced U.S. president. He went on to further acclaim playing John Quincy Adams in "Amistad" (1997) and the titular "Titus" (1999) while having a bit of fun in "The Mask of Zorro" (1998). Of course, he reprised Lecter for the less well-received "Hannibal" (2001) and "Red Dragon" (2002), before appearing in a supporting capacity in the likes of "Alexander" (2004), "All the King's Men" (2006), "Beowulf" (2007) and "Thor" (2011). Whether mannered costume dramas, historical epics or serial killer thrillers, Hopkins proved years ago that he was one of the greatest living actors of his time.

Born Aug. 20, 1968; mother, Petronella Barker; First acted together in "Selected Exits" (1993), a BBC/PBS TV biography of Welsh writer and talk show personality Gwyn Thomas; Abigail played the sister of her father's character

Met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting c. 1995; Split in February 1996

Francine Kay

Companion

Had a brief romance in 1998

Jennifer Lynton

Wife

Married on Jan. 13, 1973; Was production secretary on one of Hopkins' movies; Separated in 1995; Reconciled in 1996; Split again in 1999; Divorced on April 30, 2002

Education

Name

Cowbridge Grammar School

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

College of Music and Drama

Notes

He was not to be confused with the British composer and conductor Antony Hopkins (born March 21, 1921).

Hopkins was made Commander of the British Empire in 1987.

He also received the Commander of Arts and Letters medal from the French government.

"To be a romantic actor, you have to be physically almost perfect. But I can understand those parts that I play now because they are thwarted romances, and they're even more powerful, because they're about reality. No, I wouldn't play a romantic part in a month of Sundays." – Hopkins on why he's an atypical Hollywood lead, quoted in New York Newsday, Nov. 7, 1993

"I love all the stupid Mickey Mouse quality of it...Such a relief for one's brain." – Hopkins' take on Los Angeles, from Premiere, February 1994

About working with the Merchant-Ivory team: "Well, life is too short to hold resentments, but I was pretty angry at Ismail [Merchant] because they do spiteful things like not pay the crew. And they hold back money, to gain interest. They didn't pay me for a month. I was going to sue them, and I vowed never to work with them again. But Ismail's got the charm of the devil, you know. And I think, 'Well, I'm not going to hold a grudge.'"

"Jim [Ivory] is different. I think he's embarrassed by it all. I should take the high road, but, no, I think it's good to blow the whistle on them. James Ivory is an odd fish but a wonderful director. I don't think Ismail deserves him. I like Ismail, but they have a very underhanded way of dealing with people. They're really cheapskates. They'll take the stripes out of your socks. I'll keep my hand on my wallet next time." – Hopkins in The Los Angeles Times, Sept. 8, 1996

"There's so much money being made here, beyond my wildest dreams, and I think it can corrupt you so quickly. Jenni [his wife] is fearful of this. She says, 'How can you possibly want to live there, they're crazy people! Don't be seduced by all that. You must be nuts!' I told her the other day that I'd bought a pair of cowboy boots, and I've got a baseball cap. She said, 'Well, there's no hope then.' She's very stable, very moderate in her appetites about everything, unlike me. She accepts reality, whereas I don't. When she comes out here, she sees it as Toytown. What I find wonderful, the enthusiasm, the friendliness, she sees as over the top." – Hopkins in Vanity Fair, October 1996

The second story of Hopkins' London townhouse was severely damaged in a fire in January 2000.

Hopkins was named Man of the Year by Hasty Pudding Theatricals of Harvard University in 2001.

"People talk about chemistry. If you know your lines, you know what you're doing, and the other actor shows up and they're good and you're good, that's chemistry. There's nothing special. It's not brain surgery." – Hopkins to Los Angeles Magazine, November 2004

"I've led a fantastic life. But I realize what it is...Just enjoy, and don't take anything too seriously, because it will be somebody else tomorrow. I'm at that stage in my life now where I look at younger actors and their behavior and I think, 'I've been there. Done that.'" – Hopkins to Movieline's Hollywood Life, September/October 2005

"Only nuts stay in character between takes." – Hopkins quoted to Empire, April 2006

"Quite honestly, I don't care anymore. I've done it all, I've run the race. If the well dried up tomorrow, I don't think I'd really care." – Hopkins quoted in Empire magazine, October 2009

Hopkins' interest in art began as a boy. At 9, he took lessons from an art teacher who dated Richard Burton. The actor also doodled on movie scripts for several years before his wife Stella encouraged him to pursue his lifelong dream. Hopkins' paintings have fetched up to $150,000 and shown in galleries from London to Hawaii. – from People magazine, Dec. 12, 2011